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Owen: “Collina told me 'you have to go down to win the penalty'”

Michael Owen was a diver and he's happy to admit it now. Former Liverpool star Owen went down under a pretty non-existent foul from then-Argentina defender Mauricio Pochettino during England's 2002 World Cup campaign.

Italian referee Pierluigi Collina was fooled as he pointed to the spot - with David Beckham thrashing in the penalty to complete his redemption from France 1998. And hit man Owen has now come clean over his dirty deed, but insists he only dived because he was told to by Collina. "Pochettino actually did touch me, clipped my knee. It wasn't enough to put me down, but the only reason I went down was because earlier in the game someone fouled me. "Collina was the referee, one of the most famous referees of all time, and I said 'referee it’s a penalty' and he said 'Michael to know you have to go down to win the penalty.' He told me you have to go down, so I thought next time I get touched I'll go down and I did and he gave me a penalty".